Boozman: Debt a national security threat

Sen. John Boozman spoke on the Senate floor today about the national security threat posed to the nation by the $14.3 trillion national debt. Referring to remarks by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, he called it the greatest threat to our sovereignty.

“China owns $1.2 trillion of our debt,” he stated. “The Chinese government contends that it won’t use this liability for political advantage. But this is the same government that also claims that there are no human rights violations in that country. Clearly the Chinese government’s word is not a promise we should bank on.”

Boozman listed other foreign creditors – Iran, Venezuela and even Libya – to whom the United States is indebted.

This year, the federal government will spend $3.7 trillion and take in only $2.2 trillion. The eye doctor’s prescription, unfortunately, will fix only part of one of the lenses. He talked about spending cuts, but is he willing to cut national defense? Medicare? Social Security? I hope so. And is he willing to raise any taxes at all to make up the shortfall? If not, does he really think the federal government can cut its spending in half in order to achieve balance?

“It is up to us to make the tough decisions to get our economic house in order,” he said, “and the time is now to act.”

Share this:

Post navigation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Meet the author …

Steve Brawner is a freelance journalist. His syndicated columns appear in nine Arkansas newspapers, and he is a frequent contributor to Talk Business & Politics. He appears regularly on the AETN public affairs television show, “Arkansas Week.”

To syndicate his column or hire him to write or speak, email him at brawnersteve@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive new posts by email. Subscribing is free, and your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Email Address

Donate

If you appreciate political discourse based on reason, not emotion, and on fairness rather than fear, please consider an annual donation of $5 or $10 to this site.